Two Australians detained by police in Nauru

Michael Koziol, Fergus Hunter, Daniel Flitton21 Mar 2017, 3:25 p.m.

The two Australians were expected to be deported on Wednesday's flight to Australia.

Two Australians detained by police in Nauru

News. Nauru. september 19. photo by Angela Wylie. pic shows asylum seekers on their first day in the compound at Nauru after their long voyages on the Tampa, Aceng and Manoora. fairfax. digital. ajw010920.002.002. Photo: Fairfax Media

Two Australians in Nauru believed to be working with detention centre contractor Wilson Security have been detained by local police and will be deported back to Australia.

The Nauruan government confirmed on Tuesday two Australian citizens were awaiting deportation after being detained under the country's immigration laws, but did not explain the reasons for their arrest.

"They are being provided with consular access. The government reserves the right to revoke any visa by a foreign national if deemed to be in our national interest," Nauru's media and public information unit said in a statement.

Fairfax Media has learnt through multiple sources the two people, understood to be a man in his 20s and a woman in her 30s, work for Wilson Security at the Australian-run detention centre on the island.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the Australian government was providing consular assistance to the two Australians who were in detention.

"The Australian government has no jurisdiction to interfere in the legal or immigration processes of other countries," a DFAT spokeswoman said. "Due to privacy obligations, we are unable to provide further information."

A source at the Australian consulate in Nauru said consular staff had visited two people at the Nauruan police station on Monday afternoon.

"They were working at the detention centre," the source said. "They don't know why they were detained."

A man who claimed to be in contact with the two detainees told Fairfax Media they had been held without charge for three days. Fairfax Media was not able to confirm this with Nauruan authorities.

It is understood the two Australians will be deported on a commercial flight to Brisbane on Wednesday.

There are several foreign companies providing services to the detention apparatus on the tiny island nation on top of Wilson Security, including Broadspectrum, International Health and Medical Services (IHMS) and Canstruct.

Two non-government sources with contacts on Nauru told Fairfax Media that Australian Border Force officers and Wilson Security employees were frequent visitors to Nauru's prison facility on Monday.

Workers at numerous international organisations are responsible for 380 men, women and children currently residing at the Australian-run facility in Nauru, as well as refugees living in the community.

The facility is designated as "open", meaning refugees and asylum seekers can leave during the day and return at night.